5:12 pm, September 27, 2018
A CUMBRIAN car trader has been ordered to pay out more than £4,300 after being found guilty of selling a dangerously defective car.
Dennis Steven Evans, 57, who runs Church Cars in Preston Street, Whitehaven, sold a Ford Focus that had major structural defects to a customer in March, West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court in Workington was told.
The vehicle was immediately prohibited for use on the road after a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency examination found it had excessively corroded brake pipes as well as excessive corrosion around the seatbelt anchorage points and suspension.
JPs fined Evans £1,746 and told him he must pay a £120 victim surcharge and £2,444.38 in legal costs as well.
After the case, Cllr Celia Tibble, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for trading standards, said: ‘This is a serious offence which could have put the lives of the vehicle occupants and other road users and pedestrians at risk.
‘Attempting to sell a car in such a poor state demonstrates a complete failure of responsibility by the business.’
The News & Star reported that Evans intended to appeal against the conviction.
Picture via Google Street View
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